At the moment I am reading My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout, a story of mothers and daughters.

Blurb

An exquisite story of mothers and daughters from the Pulitzer prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Her mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken for many years, comes to see her. Her unexpected visit forces Lucy to confront the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of her life: her impoverished childhood in Amgash, Illinois, her escape to New York and her desire to become a writer, her faltering marriage, her love for her two daughters. Knitting this powerful narrative together is the brilliant storytelling voice of Lucy herself: keenly observant, deeply human, and truly unforgettable. In My Name Is Lucy Barton, one of America’s finest writers shows how a simple hospital visit illuminates the most tender relationship of all-the one between mother and daughter. NetGalley

Having just finished Dead Pretty by David Mark, the fifth in the DI McAvoy series

Blurb

Hannah Kelly has been missing for nine months. Ava Delaney has been dead for five days.
One girl to find. One girl to avenge. And DS Aector McAvoy won’t let either of them go until justice can be done.
But some people have their own ideas of what justice means… NetGalley

And next up is Without Trace by Simon Booker which sounds like it’s got all the makings of an excellent novel

Blurb

Her daughter missing, her childhood sweetheart the only suspect: a gripping and suspenseful debut thriller
For four long years, journalist Morgan Vine has campaigned for the release of her childhood sweetheart Danny Kilcannon – convicted, on dubious evidence, of murdering his 14 year-old stepdaughter.
When a key witness recants, Danny is released from prison. With nowhere else to go, he relies on single mum Morgan and her teenage daughter, Lissa.
But then Lissa goes missing.
With her own child now at risk, Morgan must re-think all she knows about her old flame – ‘the one that got away’. As the media storm around the mysterious disappearance intensifies and shocking revelations emerge, she is forced to confront the ultimate question: who can we trust…? Amazon

So that’s my week nicely sorted, what do you all have to read at the moment? Do share!

43 thoughts on “This Week in Books (January 20)”

Looking forward to your review of the Elizabeth Strout novel, I’m about to start Two Serious Ladies by Jane Bowles in a readalong and alongside that I’m reading Sylvia Boorstein’s Happiness is an inside Job, a book I was given for Christmas, a slim volume which is perfect to close the day with.

Have to admit I haven’t come across any of the books on your list but they sound good. I haven’t read many thriller/crime books recently so Without Trace particularly appeals. Will be interesting to see what you think.

Oh, the Booker really does sound like a good ‘un, Cleo! I like that psychological element of not knowing whom one can trust. The Strout looks interesting, too, and I’ll be looking forward to your review of it.

I like the contrast between your books – the thriller and the Strout. Variety is clearly the spice of life for you in your reading!
I’ve just embarked on my first Johan Theorin, a Swedish crime writer I’ve heard good things about, and it’s certainly disquieting and atmospheric. I’ve just finished Margie Orford’s Water Music, set in one of my favourite cities, Cape Town. And my next read will be Julian Barnes’ latest, which seems to be about living under a dictatorship.

I don’t get anywhere near the contrast that you do Marina but I am trying this year, partly because I need to liven up my reading a little bit and so I’m choosing some, like the Strout, that I probably would have passed over last year… we’ll see how it goes, after all it is only January. I’ve never been to Cape Town but it is somewhere I want to visit.

You’re making me want to read a mystery. I’m finishing up the much talked about first book of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. For audio, I’m listening to the last of the Bloodlines series. I’m debating on what to read next. Maybe Kate Morton. Maybe a 39 Clues book. I’m dragging my heels on finishing up the Harry Potter series.